The weather cleared up the day after my last post so I was able to wake up the next morning in Byron and go for a swim at the beach. What a way to stast a morning. Then we drove to Caloundra. We stopped off at Surfer’s paradise as well and had lunch and a swim. I didn’t like Surfer’s at all. I knew I wouldn’t but seeing as I hadn’t been there I was curious about it. Caloundra though is lovely and we were finally able to camp. We are in a camping ground just by the sea so I was able to listen to the waves as I went to sleep again last night. It is a great beach too. We caught some awesome waves last.

Today after a morning run on the beach we went to Australia Zoo. You know the Steve Irwin one. It was a pretty good zoo, the crocodile shows are fairly awesome but my favourite were the tigers. I probably could have done without all the Irwin celebrity though. Tonight we had a lovely seafood platter for dinner. We are beginning to head inland tomorrow so I figure that was a good way to end our beach holiday and like beach and rain I won’t be having seafood for awhile I imagine.

We are getting 30 minutes free internet which means I can write a post, how cool is that. As the title suggests we are in Byron Bay. Arrived lat night. Can I reccomend not arriving in Byron with the Bluesfest on and no accommodation. We learned the hard way that if you do that there is nothing left except the really posh places which cost a fortune. It was nice though I have to confess, a bit of a forced treat for us. I especially enjoyed my hot bath, listening to the waves crashing as I went to sleep and the biggest bed we have ever slept on. We also got to have dinner with Jess and her family. I was not expecting to see her again so soon so it was a wonderful treat. They were here for the Bluesfest but didn’t have tickets for the Sunday so we got to hang with them. We had a great meal at a place on Byron’s main drag. They also had to leave with still one night on their cabin so we are staying there tonight, a much needed free night after yesterday’s splurge. Thank you Browne’s. Today in Byron the weather hasn’t been great but we still did the two and a bit hour walk around the lighthouse and had some swims. Also managed a bit of a look in some hippy shops which I guess one has to do in Byron.

Apart from Byron we have been in Tamworth with the family. My father organised a BBQ at his place which was fun. He has a great place, I love it. From Tamworth we went to Myall Creek to spend some time at the memorial of the massacre that killed 30 indigenous people there. It is really well done I have to say. It was wet when we were there too but I think it kind of added to the mood. Then after a night in Inverell (there is nothing there it was just the first town after Myall Creek with somewhere to stay and we didn’t feel like going on in the dark and rain) we drove to Byron. It was a beautiful trip. It is all so green at the moment with all the rain and the leaves are beginning to turn orange. We had a fabulous lunch in a winery on the way looking over the rain coming down. I said to Martin that even though the rain isn’t what I would ask for I am trying to enjoy it as I won’t be seeing it much when I live in Alice.

So Martin and John are just doing the finishing touches on the Hilux ie roping everything down so it doesn’t all fall off, and then we are off. How very sad I feel right now. I’ve being crying heaps although I am better today than last night. A special thanks to everyone that came to the BBQ I had a really good time. I know that the friendships will continue and I am going to see everyone fairly frequently but I will miss doing life with all the wonderful people here in Sydney. Probably everyone feels like this but I truly feel that I have the best friends/community in the world.

I am excited though, was looking over the map of Queensland that my grandparents gave us and the possibilities of adventure are endless. Also, feel very right about living in Alice Springs for this next phase and despite a little bit of anxiety (well a little right now but it fluctuates) I have total faith that God is with us and that all will be well. Do pray for us though if you are that way inclined.

This book is a bit of a classis as far as I understand. First published in 1987 it was a very important story. Still is a very important story really but probably over the last 20 years has lost some of the impact it originally had. It is a book I have been trying to get to it for awhile but just hadn’t managed to. However with the move to Alice coming closer I thought it was time to get to it. I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t say it was the most brilliantly written book but I like reading people’s stories and I learned some things too.

Two anniversaries have come and gone in the last fortnight that I failed to acknowledge.

The most important on Friday (April 2) Martin and I were married for four years. It was a bit of a disaster day I have to say. I had, had a very stressful day at work and was feeling a bit overwhelmed by my whole life. All I wanted to do was go to the beach for a picnic, to look out over the ocean and get things in perspective but alas it was raining so we decided to see a ovie instead (escapism) but when we got there I realised I had read the timetable wrong and the movie we wanted to see wasn’t on that night. Unable to make a decision and not really in the space to sit through crap we went back to Hornsby and had thai, then a coffee and cake. We were home by 9.30 and by 12.00 I had vomited all my dinner back up again as it had made me so sick. I think there muct be some profound learning in all that, some kind of analogy about marriage not always going to plan etc etc but I could have done without it. However the last four years with Martin I could not have done without. At the risk of sounding like I should be talking to Richard Mercer I want the world to know that I love Martin so much and am so grateful that he would take such a risk with me.

The other slightly less imporatant but none the less significant is that my blog had its fifth birthday on March 22 2009. Yay for 5 years of “She’s a Mil”.

I went for a swim in the rain this morning. I loved it. Watching the rain fall on the water as you swim along is an experience everyone should have I reckon. And one I should remember next time I try to get out of going for a swim because it is too wet.

Martin got back to Sydney yesterday. After 6 weeks apart it was so wonderful to see him. He picked me up from work which was a lovely suprise. It has been pretty busy since he arrived with an engagement party, church and the AGM, Howie’s afternoon tea and then a few people around for dinner. Hopefully tomorrow we can get some more time.

This week I am training my replacement at work. She is quite different to me but I like her and I think she will be good. I feel really blessed to have a two week hand over time with her. I would find it hard to be leaving not knowing who was coming in and having no control over how they did things. We are taking it all pretty slow too as to not overload with her too much info.

What a weekend I have had. It started early as I didn’t work on Friday. No particular reason just that I didn’t have much to do and lots of Time in Lieu to use (as always). It started with a swim and some Bible/Prayer time which is always makes me feel good. Ryan then came around for brunch although it was 12.00 by then so it could have been lunch. He and Jane and I sat in the yard and ate yummy bread, drank coffee and talked. John F who also had a day off joined us too. At about 3pm Ryan and I went to Epping and had soft drinks with John S in the pub. Then back to Hornsby to pick up the Camry, do some shopping and with Jane and Hannah headed to Marrickville where we met up with Jem to see the National Junk Band. They were great and it was the seriously the most amazing venue. I had never seen anything like it in my life. Cathy and Andrew were also there and it is alway great to see them. Hannah was the highlight of the night though. She just loved the band and she was dancing so much, she was very gorgeous.

Saturday started with a swim and some Bible/Prayer time as well and then mooching around the house. I did a lot of eating, reading and a little bit of writing. In the evening I made the trek down to Woollongong with Tom, John and Jem to Jess’s party. Despite a fairly collective fear of parties we all managed to talk with people other than ourselves for most of the night so well done us. Jem, John and Tom went home but I stayed at Jess’s. I even stayed up to 3am chatting with Jess and a few of her friends. It had been a long time since I have done that.

Sunday we obviously woke up very late and then we lay in bed for awhile chatting even more so the day didn’t really get going until after 11am. There was some cleaning to be done and then we went to the beach. I haven’t been able to get to the beach for the awhile which makes me sad as once in Alice getting to the beach is going to be very difficult so it was good. Then we had coffee and I caught the train home. It is a long trip from Woollongong to Hornsby on the train but much of it is very pretty so I could look out the window and I got some reading done.

I feel happy.

My fourth book, like my third was by Anne Lamott. I got very into her and living with Jane that is bound to happen. Bird by Bird is a book about writing, although much of the advice she applies to writing could be applied to life as well.

I decided to read it because for a little while now I have been talking about writing a prayer book but I hadn’t started. I thought reading a book about writing a book may be a good place to start. It turns out it was. I have now started. I realised I hadn’t started because every time I thought about starting I thought things like “no one would be interested in this” or “it is not as good as Leunig” or “this will never get published” etc. etc. I still think that but Anne Lamott reminded me that writing a book is not about that. It is simply about the joy of writing. And I want a book with my prayers in it and if no one else reads it except me (and probably my mum and my husband) that’s okay. This is going to take a long time I am sure but Anne Lamott says that’s okay too. Writing (like life) should be done “Bird by Bird”.